This information was sent to me today by my friend and loan officer, Shelly Wilson, with PrimeLending.  These changes are important since so many of our clients use FHA financing, mainly because of the low down payment option.  Thanks for the information Shelly! New FHA Annual (monthly) MIP Increases These changes were effective April 18, 2011  (for case numbers assigned on or after this date)   The Upfront Mortgage Insurance remains at 1.00%. The Annual Insurance Premium will increase from .90% to 1.15% for LTV's greater than 95% on 30 yr loans.  The Annual Insurance Premium will increase from .85% to 1.10% for LTV's less than or equal to 95% on 30 yr loans. The Annual Insurance Premium will increase from .25% to .50% for LTV's greater than 90% on 15 yr loans. The Annual Insurance Prem... 04/19/2011

32 homes sold year-to-date in Highland Village, Texas.  A great place for families, come join us for Highland Village Days.  Highland Village Days is a great annual event in June that brings together Highland Village families and outdoor enthusiasts to celebrate the beginning of summer.   04/19/2011

Highland Village, TX Approves Non-Smoking Ordinance   Very soon, we will see No Smoking signs in places of employment in Highland Village, Texas. The Highland Village City Council, at the April 12th meeting, voted 4-2 to approve the seond and final read of an ordinance providing for smoke free workplaces. The ordinance includes "any enclosed facility within all places of employment and any area available and used by the general public". The smoke-free ordinance will go into effect on June 1, 2011. Better stop smoking! 04/16/2011

I love a good bargain.  I mean, who doesn't? Last week, a few neighborhoods in our city of Highland Village had garage sales.  I was about to spend $99 plus shipping and tax on a cute Pottery Barn chair for my son's room.  My sister had the eagle eye and found the exact same chair for $10.  What a deal! Several neighborhoods in Highland Village are having garage sales again this week including Castlewood, Highland Shores and Highland Forest.  Bring your cash and your bargain-sniffing dog! 04/16/2011

It's a sad time in our culture.  What should be a fun and entertaining form of friendship and camaraderie, has resulted in numerous suicides and suicide attempts among junior high and high school students around the country. This issue hit home in the small-town community of Lake Dallas when two suicides occurred in the past two months along with another attempted suicide for these teenagers.   Bullying isn't a new phenomenon, right along with things like peer pressure, drugs and alcohol use.  But, with the use of text messaging, smart phone usage, and social media, bullying has been taken a step further.  Words aren't just heard by the group of kids surrounding the lockers while a fight takes place.  Posting pictures or videos on YouTube or Facebook, as we all know, is public and perma... 04/12/2011

Kid's Castle in Unity Park -- Highland Village, Texas My son is almost 14 years old now, but I still remember the play dates we had with Noah (who now has 3 more siblings -- Hi Sheena) and a few other children in our weekly play group. Kid's Castle is located in Highland Village, Texas -- sits in between the elementary school and Briarhill Middle school.  Kid's Castle sits within Unity Park. Unity Park is the City’s Community Park and consists of 38 acres. The park contains softball/baseball fields, tennis courts, an in-line hockey court, soccer fields, a small pond, fishing pier and Kids Castle playground as well as many other amenities.   Park Features: Baseball Game Fields Soccer Game & Practice Fields Tennis Courts In-Line Hockey Rink Sand Volleyball Court Exercise Equipment Detenti... 04/08/2011

It's always when I'm running late that I run into signs like "Road Closed" or "Detour".  But I don't want to take the detour!   These are the signs that are blocking part of Highland Shores Blvd at Hillside Drive/Twin Coves in Highland Village.  Allow yourself a few minutes extra as you wind around the horseshoe back onto Highland Shores.  Crews have been working on the road the past few days and it was open yesterday, but today was a different story! 04/07/2011

Community Garage Sales for Highland Shores (Highland Village, TX) April 9th and April 16th! There are approximately 1600 homes in the Highland Shores subdivision -- that's lots of properties where homeowners are spring cleaning, downsizing, and selling lots of stuff.  Furniture, toys, books, bicycles, sporting equipment, kitchenware, household items, musical instruments and vehicles...just to name a few! So if you are in the mood to find a treasure, come see us!  If you are a homeowner, clean out your garage, your attic...heck your house and market your personal property along with the rest of your neighbors!   This year the HOA is allowing two consecutive weekends to accommodate everyone who wants to participate.  Signs will be at all the main entrances, and ads will be placed in local... 04/07/2011

Highland Village, TX Water Use Conservation-Drought Contingency Plan - Phase One - Seasonal Conservation I often wondered, as a child, why the weather was so important in my parents' conversations....now I understand. WE NEED RAIN! Below are the rules for watering if you live in Highland Village, Texas.  Phase one is effective each year beginning May 1st and ending on September 30th.   1.  No outside watering between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Hand watering of shrubbery allowed at any hour. 2.  Variances to this regulation may be granted by permit only and available at the Municipal Complex at the inspections/permits counter. 3.  Users of private well water or lake water for irrigation are required to post a sign indicating so in a conspicuous location. 4.  Hand washing of ve... 04/07/2011

You better watch out.  You better not cry.  You better not pout, I'm telling you why... Oh wait, that's not the right song!  It's spring and that means the Easter Bunny is coming to town! Saturday, April 16 at 1:30 pm at the Castlewood Clubhouse in Highland Village, TX, is the annual bunny festivities! Enjoy snacks, crafts, pictures with the Easter Bunny and the always-popular Boogie Woogie Choo-Choo all free for residents of Castlewood!  Bring your bunny ears, cameras and basket to celebrate with your friends and neighbors.   Please bring one dozen filled eggs per participant to Jo Lynn at the Clubhouse no later than Friday, April 15.   Egg hunts are broken down by age groups and are so much fun.  We went home with way more than we brought last year!   04/06/2011

After a weekend of fun and frolic, I love to get back to Mondays. Does that make me crazy? I didn't think my day was going to start off too well after a pest control tech visited our home and told us that we definitely have termites. Ahh, man!! But, things started to quickly turn around. Here's what happened to me after 10 am this morning: 1. Got the green light on two homes I have under contract from buyers after inspections. 2. Received a referral from my boss. 3. Received a referral from someone I didn't even know. I think it was a referral from a client who passed my name on to someone who hasn't needed my services yet. Either way, I don't know the referring party! 4. One of my clients that just went under contract can close two weeks early. 5. Three new listings this week! 6. My i... 04/04/2011

  Veterans Memorial Dedication Back To News In 2008 the City dedicated the community funded Veterans Monument on the south side of the Municipal Complex. The Monument represents each branch of the armed services. The newly constructed Veterans Memorial is adjacent to the Monument and is designed to memorialize individual Highland Village Veterans who have died in the line of duty or passed away after full retirement from the service. We invite you to join us for the dedication of our Veterans Memorial and for the placing of the first plaque honoring Pfc. Aaron Hudson from Highland Village who was killed in Iraq in 2005.   When: Friday, April 15, 2011Time: 4:00 p.m.Where: Highland Village Municipal Complex1000 Highland Village RoadSouthside along Brazos Boulevard and City Trail For more ... 04/03/2011

Come check out a great swimming club in Highland Village! The Highland Shores Swim Team - Hurricanes, a non profit club, is run by its elected Board of Directors which meets each month. All members are welcome at each meeting and encouraged to be involved in team activities and fundraisers. Come check out the Highland Shores Hurricanes!  This is a USS year round competitive swim team that offers members professional coaching and swim technique instructions all ages and abilities. All of Hurricane coaches, as members of the American Swim Coaches Association, have access to the most comprehensive training and certification program for youth coaches of any sport in the United States. They provide assurances that the time children spend in swimming will be quality time. For more information... 04/02/2011

After many months of construction, this afternoon at 3 pm, Highland Village Road at Wichita Forest was reopened!  There was tremendous flooding in September of 2010 that caused a portion of the road to wash away, including Lewisville Lake boat docks.   The newly constructed road will include raising the road, enhanced drainage and a ten-foot wide trail.  Thanks to The Villager and the HVPD eWatch email for this timely information! This stretch of road is used by many looking for an alternative to FM 407 or Brazos and is a much more scenic route! We have visited the docks before to feed the ducks and look forward to going back there again soon! 03/31/2011

The winners of the Highland Village, Texas Fall/Winter photography contests are in!       Beautiful pictures of just a little bit of Highland Village, Texas. Highland Village, Texas has been honored for several years as having one of the lowest crime rates in North Texas. A great community for families with over 12 miles of walking/jogging path that trails through the Highland Shores community plus parks, tennis courts, biking, and of course Lake Lewisville water sports opportunities.   Gotta love it!   Diana Manzato, Broker Denton County Texas Lakefront Property Specialist 03/28/2011

It's no secret that we had some brutal stretches of winter here in Dallas.  The measures we took after our tankless hot water heater froze two of the four days during the ice storm were non-traditional to say the least.  We all take those precautionary steps to save our plants, shrubs and flowers.  Our family keeps old dog beds, tattered blankets and comforters in an effort to keep these babies warm. I am happy to report that our "Peanuts" blanket helped provide the necessary warmth to make way for these beautiful climbers on our pergola.  Way to go hubby!  you did it!  Now, if I can just find the time to sit in my chair and enjoy them...maybe today! 03/24/2011

Yep, it's that time of year again in the Highland Shores Community, Highland Village, Texas - Denton County.   This year on Satuurday April 2, 2011 from 10 a.m. till 12:00 noon, hunters will have a chance at eggs filled with candy and/or small toys.  Not only can egg hunters find goodies, but there will be a bounce house, face painting, craft projects snacks, and drinks for the family! Also, backed by popular demand is the boogie woogie choo-choo train plus a special guest...the Estare Bunny! Bring your camera and an attitude to have fun!  Please register online for this year's Eggstravaganza at: highlandshores.net or call Miranda at 972 317 5139! The community of highland shores flanks the West side of Lake Lewisville. Lots of opportunities to buy lakefront or lakeview property!   Dian... 03/20/2011

Highland Village, Texas Sold Property, year to date, 2011- Denton County, Texas   Comparative Market Analysis                                 Address City BR Bth Gar/Cp/TCP SqFt Acr Blt PL  CDOM List Price SP %LP Sold Date $/ SqFt Sale Price  Lakeland DR  Highland V  3  2.1  2/0/2  2,751  0.373  1966  N  423  97,500   87  3/07/2011  30.90  85,000    Lake Vista W  Highland V  3  2.0  2/0/2  1,600  0.232  1973  Y  90  114,900   103  2/23/2011  73.84  118,150    Horseshoe DR  Highland V  2  2.0  2/0/2  1,605  0.500  1958  N  90  125,000   100  1/11/2011  77.88  125,000    HIGHLAND HILLS LN  HIGHLAND V  3  2.0  2/0/2  2,042  0.460  1984  Y  91  174,900   94  2/03/2011  80.80  165,000    Woodside DR  Highland V  4  3.1  2/0/2  2,952  0.174  1992  N  225  198,000   93  2/01/2011  62.67  185,0... 03/16/2011

OK, so she turns six on the 31st but still... Last summer, Trinity went to Art and Nature Camp with Christie Lucas in local Copper Canyon, TX.  The setting is quite unique, with barnyard animals, outdoor toys and time to explore nature, oh and art! Being spring break, I asked my daughter what she wanted to do and she said this camp as well as a tumble class at her gym.   My husband picked up Trinity from camp today with this masterpiece:   Christie said that they just take it step by step.  Wow!  Can I have art lessons too?!  Now to just find a spot for this piece of art! 03/14/2011

One of the great things about the city of Highland Village is the expansive trail system that connects the entire city. With the opening of 2499 and the increase in traffic, crossing safely to access the inland trail can prove difficult and dangerous.     At the March 11 meeting, Council approved a resolution authorizing the contract with BW2 Engineers for engineering and design of City Trail to the FM 2499 Pedestrian Tunnel Trail Connection. The pedestrian tunnel was constructed with the expansion of FM 2499 and closed to pedestrian access until a connection is built to City Trail. The construction of City Trail to the tunnel will provide safe pedestrian access under FM 2499 and link the west and east trails of the Inland Trail System. Completion of the trail connection is anticipated... 03/10/2011